Gen Zs have the worst approach to doing laundry, new report shows

Australians' washing habits have been revealed, and most are not doing their laundry as often as they should. Photo / Getty Images

A new report from LG Electronics looked at the laundry habits of Australians and whether they were at an acceptable standard, finding that although many Australians have some learning to do, Gen Z are the worst at doing their washing.

The Laundry Care Report 2024 was published last week by appliance company LG Electronics and looked at when and how individuals washed their clothes.

The report concluded 20 per cent of Australians chose to wear their undergarments two or more times before they put them in the washing basket.

Furthermore, the number of those choosing to wear their gym clothes multiple times before they washed them sat at over 25 per cent.

However, the study notes dirty washing habits get worse in younger age groups, with Gen Z youth sporting exceptionally bad routines in the laundry room, reported the New York Post.

The Laundry Care Report 2024 found Gen Zs had adopted exceptionally bad washing habits. Photo / 123rf

Three in 10 young Aussies try to get two or more days of wear out of their underwear, while 36 per cent of those Gen Zs do it with their gym clothing, according to the LG Electronics report.

But one of the worst laundry habits that Gen Z champions is still to come.

Forty-six per cent of young Australians that LG Electronics talked to disclosed having a chair where they place clothes that are supposedly not ready to wash yet, but cannot be packed away, grabbing clothes from this chair out of convenience.

The greatest difficulties encountered in the laundry room were attempting to remove tough stains, dealing with fading colours, ironing clothes out and organising them.

However, many Australians were choosing to ditch the ironing board and embrace the creases, with nearly 30 per cent revealing they don’t iron their clothes.

A further 42 per cent claimed they use one only when it’s needed, such as for a job interview or a celebration.

Highlighting further trouble with washing, more than one in two Australians avoid buying clothes that need to be taken to the dry cleaners because they prefer to save their time and money doing their own.

Ironing your clothes is becoming a relic of the past, with most Gen Zs admitting to avoiding the iron most days. Photo / 123rf

The choice of clothing fabric is also taken into account, with materials like merino and silk off limits to a lot of Australians because many don’t know how it should be washed.

“The report paints a clear picture of how Australian households are approaching laundry, revealing many of us in fact find the task time-consuming, confusing and at times overwhelming,” said Shannon Tweedie, LG Australia’s marketing manager for home appliances.

“From skipping washes and ironing, to avoiding dry cleaners and certain fabrics altogether, it’s clear that time-poor Australians are in search of a painless solution to their laundry challenges.”